Seppuku
by Tyalie
Summary: The wateland he created pread miles in any direction. Inuyasha stood on a small rise over looking the largest bit of carnage that was once called Naraku." Naraku was murdered, but demon Inuyasha is an indescriminate killer. (One-shot, dark, char. death).


**Seppuku**

Written by Tyalie

Summary: "The wateland he created pread miles in any direction. Inuyasha stood on a small rise over looking the largest bit of carnage that was once called Naraku." Naraku was murdered, but demon Inuyasha is an indescriminate killer.

WARNING: Dark. Slightly graphic (but not very). Character death. Suicide. Cannon, IC.

Disclaimer: Inuyasha characters are property of Rumiko Takahashi. I'm not getting any money for this.

* * *

His vision was clouded red. '_Blood_?' he thought idly, _'I must have killed something.'_

Softly, he breathed in the smell of sweat and death. It was wonderful. He tasted copper on his tongue. It was delicious. He reveled in the warm sensation of blood dripping from his talons.

There was a faint, steady thrumming noise he knew to be a heartbeat. One was his. But another, and he didn't even have to strain his pointed ears to hear it, belonged to his prey.

He grinned, fangs flashing, and sat down to listen to the other's heartbeats slow and eventually quiet.

* * *

The wasteland he created spread miles in any direction. Inuyasha stood on a small rise overlooking the largest bit of carnage that was once called Naraku. '_Was_.' Inuyasha thought with bitter triumph. '_I killed him.'_

_'And my friends.'_

Inuyasha couldn't exactly say, but sometime during the battle he was separated from Tetsusaiga. He could only guess at why the Fang now hung at his side again.

* * *

He looked up from the corpse he was crouched over, blood dripping from his mouth. He had felt something, a wave of power called to him. Invincibility, strength, yes, he wanted that.

Eyes his favorite color found it, a rusty-looking sword was the source of this power. The second he closed his hand around it pain seared through his arm, then the red faded from his vision...

* * *

Inuyasha dragged the remains of his friends to a small pyre he had built. Kirara had met her end in the hands, or tentacles, of Naraku, at least. But Sango's body had been torn in half by his claws. He had found her clutching a Miroku with his skull crushed in.

He hadn't even been able to find Shippo's corpse, until a sudden, horrible idea sent him gagging and retching. Instead, Inuyasha could only place a broken spinning top and toy snake next to the huntress and monk.

Kagome's throat had been ripped out.

* * *

'_Pathetic_!' the demon mused, watching the human wail piteously at his feet. _'Those wounds are hardly fatal. What's her problem?'_

"Inuyasha! I know you can hear me, please! No one's attacking you, it's all right. Take the sword... please, stop! Inuyasha... sit!"

He snarled as his body slammed full force into the ground. '_That bitch! What magic is she using on me?'_

"I-Inu-yasha? Say something..."

He rose, growling. The human girl gasped and continued her crying.

"No! Inuyasha, no! Please... I lov"

_'She needs to shut up.'_

* * *

Inuyasha ran. Even though he was exhausted, injured, and famished, he willed ever part of his body to cary him far away from the flickering flames behind him. His enemy was dead, his friends were dead, his two loves were dead... all his fault. Days later, he found himself at the feet of the Goshinboku. He needed to figure this out.

* * *

Kaede hummed absently as she swept the small courtyard outside the shrine. She paused to watch her breath rise in little puffs. _'I wonder where Kagome and the others are now... It's getting very cold soon it will-- oh!' _Snow had started falling, rather quickly too. In no time, the ground was dusted with a light coat. The old miko turned to go back inside.

"Kaede-baba!"

She looked up, a little startled. "Inuyasha? Where"

"The others are dead. And Naraku. Here is the Shikon no kareka."

He tossed a dozen shards at her feet, where they glowed an innocent pink in the snow. Kaede was nonplussed.

"Thanks for all your help. I won't be seeing you again."

* * *

Sesshoumaru tilted his head back, half so he wouldn't have to listen to Jaken's babble, half so he could catch smell the wind. A familiar scent reached him. His hanyou brother was coming.

"Jaken!"

"Yes, Shesshoumaru-sama!"

"Take Rin back behind those trees. I will call you later."

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama."

* * *

Sesshoumaru saw Inuyasha at the top of a hill moments after Jaken and Rin disappeared into the woods. As he approached closer, Sesshoumaru examined his half-brother closely. His appearance was haggard and his countenance determined, but that was not in itself exceptional. What truly struck him was that Inuyasha was alone, not followed by that odd band of humans as usual.

"Inuyasha. You seek me out?"

"Yes. I've killed Naraku." Inuyasha replied softly. Sesshoumaru regarded him expresionlessly.

"That hardly concerns me."

"Yeah well..." The utter despair and coldness in his half-brother's voice unnerved Sesshoumaru. "I also killed everyone else. So I was going to kill myself and I thought you might want Tetsusaiga before I left."

If ever the great Inu-youkai lord ever showed emotion, it would be now. His mouth slightly open, eyes a little wider, Sesshoumaru stared at Inuyasha in silence for a long time. Then,

"Suicide is a noble and fitting death."

* * *

Inuyasha kneeled facing the setting sun, a short knife in his hand. He was silent as he plunged it into his lower abdomen and dragged it upwards quickly. His eyes opened as he leaned forward and exposed the back of his neck. He smiled just before Sesshoumaru beheaded him with one blow from Toujikin.

* * *

Ahh, my first complete Inuyasha fic. Damn me.

What Inuyasha did was called Seppuku (the title of the story, as I hoped you noticed). Also known as hara-kiri. It was a ritual suicide from about the time the Inuyasha series took place. It was considered perfectly acceptable, if not exceptionally honorable, back then.

I'm looking for useful criticism here. Please review with your impressions. Did I make any tense changes? Do you think I laid the angst on too heavy? Was the writing to dramatic or repetitive? Should it be more or less wordy or descriptive? How was the flow?


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